Tool five capitals

1. Tools of the trade
Five capitals

2. Sustainable development is…
 “Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs” UN report 1987
Brundtland Report
 “If everyone in the world were to live like an
average person in the high-income countries, we
would need 2.6 additional planets to support us
all.” UN report 2007

3. Sustainability is...
Most definitions of sustainable development
consider:
 The scale of the economy relative to its ecological
life-support system
 Equitable distribution of resources
 Opportunities between present and future
generations
 Efficient utilisation and replacement of resources
that adequately accounts for the planet
(Constanza & Patten, 1995)

4. Sustainability is not...
Some critiques of unsustainable business:
 Dominated by a focus on short term financial
growth and the efficient use of $$$ capital
 Limited to a small part of production with no
consideration for source or disposal
 Fixated on getting consumers to buy more,
different or better products

5. Different perspectives are needed...
 Realisation that everything is systemically
interconnected
 Expansion of thinking beyond traditional silos
and boundaries
 Consideration of natural models of business
and growth

6. More info @ go.bath.ac.uk/loopy
Realisation that Eco-logy > Eco-mony
Ecology
Society
Economy
After: Capra (2007) and Constanza et al (1997)

7. Resources used
Money, jobs, and exchanges
More complex view of activities

8. Consideration Resources used
Financial Money, jobs, and exchanges
Physical Transport, shelter, energy
Social Security, governance, regional relationships
Human Labour force, population health, communications,
and skills
Natural Wood, building materials, minerals, water, and
food
More complex view of activities

9. Consideration Capital source Resources used
Financial Local businesses, economy, and market places Money, jobs, and exchanges
Physical Infrastructure, Power production, buildings,
networks
Transport, shelter, energy
Social Governance structures and processes Security, governance, regional relationships
Human Education, children Labour force, population health, communications,
and skills
Natural Rivers, forests, soils, climate Wood, building materials, minerals, water, and
food
After: Bebbington, A. (1999), DFIF Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets (April 1999)
More complex view of activities